Striker: City of Gold

Heavy/Speed Metal

4.0/5.0

With their pedal to the metal, mostly going at warp speed, Canada's Striker returns with City of Gold, their third romp in to traditional heavy speed metal. If anything, the band is consistent and unapologetic with their sound. Thirty years removed from it's origins, Striker parties like it's 1984.

Striker: party on dudes.

This is essential speed metal, at break neck velocity. Yeah, the may have their moments where they back off a bit, but mostly this a rush of heavy metal energy from first song to last. Along the way, melody and harmony, whether by guitar riffs or vocal arrangement, are appropriately self-evident. As is the large riffs, and even larger drums which are expertly mixed for maximum clarity. Along the way, for icing on the cake, to make heavy metal classic, there are buckets of twin guitar leads. It's all a growing, or aging, metal head needs.

While most every song is a raging unfettered freight train of momentum, some songs twist the mold a bit. On is Bad Decisions, which has occasional lighter moments (by comparison), but also the best vocal harmony and groove. Combined with the chorus, it has a more popular or accessible heavy metal feeling. Another song of note is Mind Control which appears to move more by the strength of the rhythm section, notably at the start. You can put Start Again and All I Want into the category of 'beware of songs that start slow' or lightly, even if for short time. Both quickly roar into Striker's speed metal. However, the latter song develops more along the lines of the hard rock groove found in the aforementioned Bad Decisions. All in all, Striker remains a commanding classic speed metal presence, often predictable, yet always bang-your-head entertaining. Easily recommended.

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